Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), commended Ghana’s electoral system following the country’s 2024 presidential election, citing its innovations and political stability as key contributors to the successful conduct of the election.
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, former President John Mahama won the presidential race, after Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, his main rival, conceded defeat.
Bawumia, in a statement, confirmed that he had called Mahama to congratulate him, acknowledging the will of the people: “The people of Ghana have spoken, and they have voted for change at this time. We respect this with all humility.”
The official results are expected to be announced by the Ghanaian Election Commission by Tuesday, according to AFP reports.
Yakubu, who observed the election, praised the political stability in Ghana, noting the country’s consistent party structures and voter loyalty as essential factors.
He pointed to the perseverance of political leaders like former Vice President Mahama and President Nana Akufo-Addo, who contested multiple times before eventually securing success.
“In Ghana, it’s rare for people to switch parties in every election cycle. This consistency provides stability, both for the parties and their supporters, who remain loyal regardless of whether their party is in power or opposition,” Yakubu said.
The INEC Chairman also highlighted Ghana’s improvement in managing election results, particularly at the constituency level, which was inspired by Nigeria’s system.
Previously, all parliamentary and presidential results in Ghana were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra for announcement.
However, the country has now adopted a decentralized system, allowing constituency-level officers to announce parliamentary results locally while presidential results are still sent to Accra.
Yakubu elaborated, saying, “Ghana learned from Nigeria’s approach, where results for parliamentary elections are announced by returning officers at the constituency level, while only presidential results are sent to the headquarters. This system has made the process more efficient, allowing for quicker declarations of results.”
Expressing his satisfaction with the election process, Yakubu stated, “The election has been conducted smoothly, and the outcome has been commendable. We continue to offer our support to Ghana’s Electoral Commission.”
The election results mark the end of two terms in power for the New Patriotic Party under President Akufo-Addo, whose tenure was marred by Ghana’s severe economic crisis, including soaring inflation and a debt default.
